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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/25244866">Jaune Is Dad-Man</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/God1643/pseuds/God1643'>God1643</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>Full One-Shots [1]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>RWBY</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Cute, F/M, Fluff, Parenthood</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-07-13</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-07-13</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-05 04:40:47</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Teen And Up Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>10,109</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/25244866</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/God1643/pseuds/God1643</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Early on in Ghira Belladonna's time as Chieftain, he opened an orphanage near the Belladonna Mansion, which came to be run primarily by amiable, maternal Cow-Faunus.<br/>With Kali working as an Emissary and Ghira being busy running Menagerie, Blake spent a lot of her childhood under the tutelage of these Faunus Matrons.</p>
<p>She really should have listened when they said being a mother was difficult.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Jaune Arc/Blake Belladonna, Lie Ren/Nora Valkyrie</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>Full One-Shots [1]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/series/1828855</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>5</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>17</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>Jaune Is Dad-Man</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>I began reading a story a while ago about Blake finding an abandoned child, but I can't remember the name of it. It gave me an idea heavily based on their own, so I wrote mine with my particular flavour. To be honest, not super happy with where it concluded, I feel like I could do more, but it's short, sweet, and that's kinda what we all need to feel good right now.</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>“Headmaster, I have a… question of a sensitive nature.” Ruby Rose, much like all of her family, was not one to speak hesitantly. Ozpin tapped a button on his scroll and the curtains fell, the door clicking locked.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“You can feel safe to bring your concerns in full, Miss Rose.” The Headmaster was sitting up, attentive, different from his usual sprawl.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“If, hypothetically, one of my teammates had left on a trip into Vale, and had, hypothetically, found an abandoned infant, what avenues would there be, if any, for said teammate to remain in custody of the child during that teammates’ continued tenure here.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Hypothetically speaking?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Yes.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Well, there is one such avenue intact.” Ozpin said, nonchalantly, as if discussing the weather. “The Vale King, following the end of the Great War, took a very close and very personal management over the minutia of the Huntsman Academies. He was an avid reader of history, and ensured he had accounted for every possibility.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Really?” Ruby was intrigued, leaning forward with wide eyes. Ozpin chuckled.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Oh yes, why, the first three years of the Tenure of the Beacon Headmaster is spent learning under the previous Headmaster and poring over the instructions written down by the last Vale King.” Ozpin smiled. “But, anyway, back to your hypothetical question.” The old man winked.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Now, the ultimate priority regarding children of Huntsmen and Huntresses in training, is that they have sufficient time to care adequately for the child. The Vale King knew there are issues in raising children of either gender under a pair of Fathers or a pair of Mothers, and so the rule is that there must be a Mother figure and Father figure in the child’s life, regardless of whether or not they actually show any romantic love towards each other.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Huh, that’s interesting.” Ruby said, rather adorably in Ozpin’s opinion. Heh, oz-pinion.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Why, the Vale King himself, and his nine siblings were raised under two couples, a biological father and his husband, and a biological mother and her wife.” The man was </span>
  <em>
    <span>very</span>
  </em>
  <span> good at offering up random trivia.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Anyway, the mother and father would be alotted specific quarters to rear the child, and their teams are moved into adjacent rooms to ensure the rhythm of the team is disturbed as little as possible. The couple’s quarters are soundproofed, for both babies’ cries and the cries of making new babies.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Ruby blushed a bit at his frank phrasing, but the man didn’t seem to notice.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Why, a member of my own team during my tenure here gave birth in her third year. Generally the only concern is keeping up physically during pregnancy, and the complications of childbirth, but as this hypothetical case is adoption, such worries aren’t necessary.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Is there any problems in the mother and father figures being from differing teams?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“No. The soundproofed quarters exit into a common room that has two dorms attached to it, for just such an eventuality.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Wow, the King really did think of everything.” Ruby breathed, impressed. The old, sarcastic man rolled his eyes, exasperated.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“You have </span>
  <em>
    <span>no</span>
  </em>
  <span> idea, Miss Rose. He left individual instructions for each and every potential wardrobe alterations that could be needed per differing Faunus traits, and the entirety of the instructions have to be memorised in each continent’s standard language.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Ruby’s eyes went comically wide.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Anyway. While I appreciate you being the one to speak to me regarding this, the mother and her chosen father figure must come to me in person along with the child. Or, if you would prefer, I can come along with you to meet them.” Ruby scratched her own upper arm sheepishly.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“The latter may be preferable, I don’t want to fumble the explanation and have this teammate panic and run.” Ruby admitted. Ozpin nodded approvingly at her foresight, took up his cane and allowed the Crimson Reaper to lead the way to his elevator.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Jaune and Blake were speaking idly, the blond noodle rocking the baby idly in his long arms, and the cat Faunus seated beside him gently stroking the child’s red hair. Jaune had to struggle multiple times to keep his excitement quiet, any time Blake mentioned she had read a particular favorite of his older sister he had to choke down on his freak out of excitement.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Or worse, when she mentioned one </span>
  <em>
    <span>written</span>
  </em>
  <span> by his sister’s nom de plume. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Weiss was seated nearby, trying to deny the overwhelming cuteness of Baby Moon, just as she had once done with Zwei, and Yang was writing down everything she could remember of raising Ruby as a second mother, as advice for Blake.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>For the moment, there was a comfortable silence, only punctuated by Yang’s calm scribbling, and then the door opened. Ruby led the way into the room, looking oddly sheepish, and following her was Headmaster Ozpin.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>The old man took one look at the frozen room, then the baby, before his eyes and bearing softened considerably.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I should have known.” Ozpin said mirthfully. “The Belladonnas always did have a penchant for taking in strays.” Ozpin said warmly, gazing at the protective mien Blake wore. “And the Arcs were plenty good at handling their litters.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Headmaster, we can explain-” Jaune began, before Ozpin raised a hand to silence him.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“There is no need. Miss Rose has already explained the situation to me quite adequately.” The Headmaster faced Blake. “It was an incredibly brave thing you did, Miss Belladonna, to so boldly take up the mantle of child-rearing for one in need. I am deeply impressed.” Blake flushed a bit.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“You and your teams will be moved to the specialized quarters we keep for parents. It’s by Beacon rule that a child of a Hunter in training have a mother figure and father figure, and Ruby suggested Jaune, as Ren’s time is taken up raising a child of his own.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>The girls traded confused glances, so Ozpin clarified with a smirk. “Miss Valkyrie.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Ozpin just made a joke!” Yang exclaimed, stunned. The old man chuckled.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Indeed.” He tapped his cane on the ground. “If you all would come along to the rooms, you can get a feel of where you will reside for the duration of your stay.”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>The Marital Quarters, whose name sparked quite a bit of embarrassment for Blake and Jaune, had four rooms, sprouting off a main square room. The common room had a few low-slung purple couches around a deep black slate coffee table, which had an undercarriage that held board games.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>The left room was large, and airy, with light blue painted walls and a very light grey ceiling. Proper, <em>professionally</em> crafted bunkbeds were set against the side walls around a corner, and a large bookshelf was set in the wall to the door’s immediate right, with a vanity against the door’s left.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Two fully equipped bathrooms, one on each side by the bookcase and vanity respectively, and dressers and nightstands were dotted around as needed.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>The room to the right of the common space was a straight shot back from the door to the bunk beds, with a bathroom to the back left of the entrance and a second bathroom to the immediate right of the entrance. Dressers were more numerous in here, the strange angles not allowing for long armoires.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>The back of the room held two doors, with two rooms. They were essentially mirrors of each other, the one on the left being much larger with one very large bed and large shower in the bathroom, and the smaller one having essentially the same but kid sized. A crib was in the back left corner of the kid’s room.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Essentially all of it was in a dark, richly stained curly-grained wood, aside from the bunk bed frames which were shiny steel slats. The bed spreads were all a deep red, and the sheets a tasteful eggshell.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Whoever designed this has excellent fashion sense.” Yang commented. Ozpin laughed, a full guffaw.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I’m quite sure your father will be happy to hear you appreciate his work, Miss Xiao Long.” The old man commented, drawing sputtering from Ruby, Yang, and comically, Weiss and Pyrrha as well.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“He did all this?” Ruby said, stunned.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Why, yes. As soon as my predecessor told him he could change his room to his heart’s content, he got it in his head that he should change the rest. Headmistress Robinia enjoyed his ideas so much that she allowed him to use Beacon’s funding to do the entirety of the other Marital Quarters as well.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Wait, but Dad didn’t have me until two years out of Beacon.” Yang spoke up, confused.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Well, he wasn’t here as a student. He was here as one of the adopted children. In this particular set of quarters, in fact.” Ozpin replied, stunning the two girls. “He never informed you he grew up partially here?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“No!” The girls exploded.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Why yes, My own Team Leader found him begging for food and medical treatment at age eight in Vale. She swept him off his feet, quite literally, as he had a heavily injured leg at the time, and brought him here. Once he realized it wasn’t some sort of sick joke, he took to the lessons like a fish to water.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Wait, so you were…” Ruby trailed off.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Yes, I know your father very well indeed. I taught Combat during his latter years in attendance here, before I lost my leg.” Ozpin wrapped his left leg with his cane, making a dull knocking sound. “You didn’t all think I would allow a fifteen year old into Beacon without knowing her father and trusting him to accurately assess her skills?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Well, yes… we sort of did.” Jaune admitted.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Dear Brothers.” The man breathed, exasperated, with both of his dreaded eyebrows high up. “I know I am perceived as eccentric but such a belief is ridiculous.” Ozpin rolled his eyes. “If you don’t believe me, merely ask your father about ‘Uncle Ozzy’ and it should all come spilling out of that preposterous man.”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>RW_Y and _NPR took to the new quarters with delighted relish, packing their old space and unpacking into the new one with barely a pause. Ruby was dancing about, spreading decorations from… </span>
  <em>
    <span>somewhere</span>
  </em>
  <span>, all around the massive common room, merrily singing about all the space for said decorations.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Yang had briefly joined her sister, but had rapidly been dragged away by a bubbly Nora to spar and remove some of the collective excitement. Ren tagged along, preparing his Semblance to drain their frustrations in case they got too violent and said personal things.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>It had happened before.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Glynda had been so angry that she had flat out refused to put everything back telekinetically. Well, at least Nora had learned stone-masonry and Yang was now an amateur woodworker. And the Beacon Park Well was very new, and, admittedly, rather pretty.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Glynda was more angry that they had left it better than before than she was at their destruction.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Weiss was quietly singing in RW_Y’s new dorm, unpacking and carefully folding her clothes into a large cherry-wood armoire, with tasteful brass handles with a delicious heft to them.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Oh, yes, Weiss was quite happy here.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Pyrrha was seated on one of the purple couches reading, one of her bare feet thudding a beat into the black slate tiles on the coffee table, to keep Ruby’s somehow-rhyming and completely-improvised singing in time.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>All in all, it was peaceful.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>That is, until the door to the Master Bedroom blasted open and Blake stumbled out. Pyrrha and Ruby were instantly beside her, worrying over the collapsed girl.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“What’s wrong, Blake?” The girl pointed weakly towards the open door.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I’ve adopted a </span>
  <em>
    <span>demon</span>
  </em>
  <span>.” Blake panted out, genuine fear in her eyes. Jaune stepped through the door, Moon in an adorable magenta onesie against his chest, her head conked out against his left shoulder. He was passively rocking, and then he rolled his eyes.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“And I’ve entered the adoptive process with a </span>
  <em>
    <span>coward</span>
  </em>
  <span>.” Jaune sniped without heat, turning to place a kiss on Moon’s brow. “Honestly, it’s like you’ve never changed a diaper before.” Jaune rolled his eyes again, then laughed a bit when Moon burped against his shoulder.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“You’re gonna do every one of those from now on.” Blake said, in the tone as if it wasn’t a command. That tone was rare, even Yang knew to stop teasing when the monochrome girl used it.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Jaune didn’t even </span>
  <em>
    <span>blink</span>
  </em>
  <span> at it.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Not for free.” Was the big noodle’s instant reply, reaching out with his right hand to haul the skinny girl up to her feet. Though she’d deny it, an ‘eep’ noise slid free of Blake’s lips.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“When did you get so strong?” Blake murmured, rubbing her arm.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Apparently my Aura drains through touch into people I feel protective over. My parents and I were always confused by it, considering it started way before I unlocked it. While it happens I get some basic physical enhancements.” Jaune replied with a shrug, leaning forward a bit and gently tipping Moon into Blake’s surprised arms, before straightening up and stretching.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“But, it’s never really hurt anything. It actually was fighting a tumor my littlest sister had when she was a toddler, and combined with the excisement, her liver didn’t need any further treatment.” Jaune adjusted Blake’s hands without seeming to notice he was doing it, his large hand palming Moon’s hair and stroking her head.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Blake seemed a bit flustered at the warmth of the big noodle standing so close, but when Moon gurgled happily in her sleep, she wasn’t going to object. And if one of his big, strong, delicious- Wait what?!</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Damn it, mind!</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Anyway. And if one of his hands happened to brush on her arm during the gentle petting motion, Blake wasn’t going to say anything. Not with those wide, warm, calloused palms brushing over the sensitive-</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Damn it!</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Blake passed Moon off hurriedly to Jaune, the pressure in her chest getting to her, and she bolted from the room in a blur of black and white.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Blake! What’s wrong?” Jaune reached out, disturbing Moon, who mewled a bit. His attention was instantly back on the baby, and Pyrrha was rubbing over his hoodie in between his shoulder blades. He sighed, the tension leaving him. Ruby nodded to the pair and walked off after Blake, not using her Semblance to give Blake time.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“She just needs a minute. I think the stench probably triggered something in her head, kicked back on the panic she’s been fighting and then she was stewing in it when she was on the ground.” Pyrrha advised, her voice quiet for the baby. Jaune nodded, but his frown didn’t leave.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>That was one of the many things Pyrrha both enjoyed about Jaune, and that drove her crazy sometimes. He would worry until the object of his worry was safe right in front of him. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>But, she supposed, she couldn’t exactly be angry he was so protective, not with how it meshed so well with his Semblance. It had been a welcome surprise when it was finally unlocked.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>One of the things JNPR had rapidly concluded for themselves was that each member had their own specific niche that they were happy in. Nora was quite happy being the high-damage, high-mobility powerhouse in combat and the comic relief out of it.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Ren was a high-mobility support harasser in combat and an emotional rock out of it, just as Pyrrha was a high-damage highly technical combatant during spars and a polite, intelligent girl outside of it who acted well as their translator. Ren and Nora weren’t stupid, but hadn’t had any traditional education on the road, and what little hard schooling Jaune had was mostly taught by his mother.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>His village, Domremy, was deemed too small to have a source of negativity as powerful as a schooling system. Domremy didn’t have stone walls and only a small militia, and it was an unnecessary risk, so the others relied on Pyrrha to explain advanced literary passages in their textbooks.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Jaune, being raised in the chaos that called itself the Arc Household, had a few more niches that he could comfortably fit in. In combat, he was a high-damage low-mobility cautious and opportunistic fighter, only attacking when he knew he could put his entire strength behind Crocea Mors and not wasting energy as to remain alert to command the others into where they needed to be.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>But by far the thing that defined Jaune outside of combat was one word; </span>
  <em>
    <span>domestic</span>
  </em>
  <span>.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>He knew his way around all classical home-maker tasks, sewing, cooking and preparing beverages, your average handy-man tasks, and was very good with animals.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Jaune would make an excellent father someday, as he was fiercely protective and vigilant over his teammate’s health and safety.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>It was during one such effort to look after one of them that he discovered his Semblance.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <em>Three Months Prior:</em>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>It was late at night, nearly midnight. Their first class the next day was after lunch, and they had agreed through the advanced language of nodding to stay up a bit later and then sleep in.</span>
  </em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>Jaune was playing a game on his scroll with the sound off, Nora had pushed her bed up against an exasperated Ren’s and was curled into his side, her head on his abdomen. The ninja was quietly reading, every once in a while humming at something interesting in the novel.</span>
  </em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>Jaune reached over to set his scroll on the charging pad and get up, moving to the bathroom, when he heard sheets rustling. Ren hadn’t moved, nor had Nora, and so he looked to Pyrrha. The young woman’s face was pinched up, in some negative emotion he couldn’t identify, and she began to move about.</span>
  </em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>“</span>
    <span>No, no, I don’t want to…</span>
    <span>” She was murmuring, too quiet to really make it out. Jaune was at the side of her bed before he could realize it was happening, big-brother instincts kicking in immediately. Jaune reached out, rested his palm on her hair, and his world became fire.</span>
  </em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>And not in a painful way, but that everything he could see looked like it was aflame. Pyrrha’s hair was floating upward, idly swaying, and glowing a lustrous shade of crimson.</span>
  </em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>Jaune looked up, stunned, to meet Ren’s equally bewildered eyes. Removing his hand, Pyrrha’s glow began to flicker, and then turned off, the hair falling limply to the pillow.</span>
  </em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>Almost immediately, she began to toss and turn again, and Ren gestured for Jaune to place his hand back again. When nothing happened, Jaune tried funneling his aura into that hand, like Ren had taught him.</span>
  </em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>Just as the intensity of white in his hand had began to turn the shine into a light blue, the red aura around Pyrrha returned, she fell still, and her pinched face relaxed into a serene smile.</span>
  </em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>“What’s happening?” Jaune asked.</span>
  </em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>“It reminds me of an Auratic healing method I saw when I was young, but that takes years to learn. I’d imagine this is your Semblance, Jaune.” Ren replied in his trademark calm, sitting up a bit more attentively and setting his book aside.</span>
  </em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>Nora groaned a bit at being shifted, but quickly found a new place to rest on her head by curling into his thigh.</span>
  </em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>“Yeah, but why </span>
    <span>now</span>
    <span>?” Jaune hissed. Ren hummed in thought briefly.</span>
  </em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>“I may have a hypothesis.” Ren said. “If I may ask, what emotion are you feeling right now?”</span>
  </em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>“Umm, concern, panic, fear, terror…” Jaune seemed very ready to continue for quite a while.</span>
  </em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>“Not that. What emotions are you feeling </span>
    <span>towards</span>
    <span> Pyrrha?”</span>
  </em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>“Oh, uh… Concern, a bit of worry, hope that the nightmare wasn’t about anything bad, kinda…”</span>
  </em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>“Protective?” Ren asked leadingly, a glint in his eye.</span>
  </em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>“Yeah, protective works.” Said Jaune, using his free hand to brush away the hair from his eyes.</span>
  </em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>“I believe you may be manifesting an Auratic energy referred to as ‘Aura Amplification’. It can be used in multiple ways, but generally is controlled by a very precise flow of aura that takes a long time to use effectively.”</span>
  </em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>“I would suspect that your large aura reserves and rapid refresh rate are quite helpful at maintaining the flow, but from what you’ve also said it seems that your emotions govern the use instead of the fine control required by most. If you could attempt to shift your emotional state towards Pyrrha, that may yield some results.”</span>
  </em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>“Shift them how?” Jaune asked, a bit concerned.</span>
  </em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>“Perhaps try thinking of her less like a sister and more like a classmate. If right now you are fortifying her mind against the nightmares, perhaps try fortifying her body against physical attacks.” Ren suggested, leaning forward more.</span>
  </em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>Jaune concentrated, trying to shift the feeling of instilling protection without moving his hand. It split in his senses, half going down and half staying. He could visibly see her muscles swell a bit, straining ever so slightly against the fabric of her pyjamas.</span>
  </em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>With half down to her body however, her mind seemed to spark a bit, and he could feel a cloudy darkness against him fighting to drag her down.</span>
  </em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>And, perhaps most scary, he could hear a little, tinny version of her voice objecting to something.</span>
  </em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>“</span>
    <span>No! I don’t want to see it anymore! I’ve been good!</span>
    <span>” Jaune receded the lower half immediately, pulling it up and angrily forcing it down against the darkness, surrounding the nasty, burrowed feeling with his auratic self, and squeezed down on it.</span>
  </em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>It fought him back, far harder than anything had ever fought him directly before, as even the Ursa Major could be deflected. This was directly, actively, and </span>
    <span>savagely</span>
    <span> pushing back against him.</span>
  </em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>In the far distance, he could hear Ren and Nora worriedly calling his name, but more importantly, Pyrrha was screaming nearby.</span>
  </em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>“</span>
    <span>Go away! I don’t want you anymore!</span>
    <span>”</span>
  </em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>And in the waking world, Jaune roared.</span>
  </em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>“Get out of my FRIEND!”</span>
  </em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>With a vibrant, thunderous crashing noise punctuated by the sound of tinkling glass, the glowing cocoon of Jaune’s aura around Pyrrha’s head broke apart, a screaming, screeching black mass of perverted aura fled her mouth, and dissolved upon being exposed to the open air.</span>
  </em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>Pyrrha sat up, gasping, staring around confusedly.</span>
  </em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>And in the doorframe, Team RWBY, Glynda Goodwitch and Headmaster Ozpin were looking very confused themselves.</span>
  </em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>Before he could hear, or, more importantly, </span>
    <span>answer</span>
    <span>, any questions, Jaune’s eyes rolled back and he fainted against his bedframe.</span>
  </em>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Blake returned to the quarters after a few hours, some new books in a bag clutched in one hand and her other hand carrying two bags of groceries. It was one box of baby formula and one box of kitten formula, as well as a case of diapers. She nudged the door open, turning to the left at the voices drifting outwards.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Jaune was stood at the stove in the kitchen, wearing a dark blue sleeveless shirt and lounge pants patterned with some cartoon character. He was merrily joking about, talking to the others gathered at a table. Ren was beside him at the other side of the stove, deftly working a large skillet to toss together some kind of greens with one hand and tossing some kind of breaded meat in a wok with the other.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Jaune was kneading some kind of dough while talking to Ruby, who was tickling and playing with Moon, the baby resting atop a large fluffy blanket on the table.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Zwei was on the table, and was snuffling into Moon, who was happily giggling. Blake nudged the door closed with her foot, and watched, slightly unnerved and worried, as the others turned to her at the sound and went quiet.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>They looked at Jaune for the way to behave, but the noodle had already left his spot at the stove and hurried over to Blake.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Are you alright?” He worried over her, clutching her shoulders with flour-spotted hands. Blake smiled a little bit at his concern, and nodded.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Yes. I’m alright. The… stress of the realization hit me quite suddenly.” Blake replied, her face in a slight frown. She looked up a bit further, into his electric-blue eyes, and her sudden smile was blinding. “I’m a mother.” Jaune nodded.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Yes, you are.” He replied. His hand came up, neither seeming to notice how their position looked as one of his flour-covered, calloused mitts caressed her cheek. “And you’re going to be a damn great one.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>The moment was sweet, but only lasted as long as it took for Yang to let loose with a rip-roaring wolf whistle.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Oh, go stuff yourself Yang.” Blake sniped without heat, stepping passed Jaune to pick up Moon from the table and clutch the giggling baby to her chest.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Hello, little one. Momma missed you.” Moon giggled and gurgled as Blake nuzzled the baby, nuzzled </span>
  <em>
    <span>her</span>
  </em>
  <span> baby. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>With a blinding smile, Blake settled in between Ruby and Weiss on the bench of the table and slipped seamlessly into the conversation, laughing at a joke made from an again-kneading Jaune.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Moon was down for her nap in the crib of the Kid’s Room, Zwei alongside her curled on the ground and happily snoring away. Blake closed the door with a quiet click, and returned to the common room.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>They had all gathered in the center of the room over the large, low-slung slate coffee table, and had broken out the Board Games. It wasn’t late enough yet to go to sleep, but the sun was down and the training arenas were closed. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Jaune and Ren were competing with Blake and Weiss in a ferocious Kanasta tournament that was already well into its second hour, as Yang and Nora played some form of raucous game, with Ruby and Pyrrha lounging in the nearby bean-bag chairs reading magazines.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Jaune had pulled the discard pile to form a small triplet and then discarded a Nine of Diamonds. He was passively awaiting Blake’s return, his board expansive before him.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>However, Blake wasn’t blind, she knew that Jaune and Ren’s shared aggressive strategy made them monsters in point acquisition, but also blinded them to the growth of their own hands.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Smiling softly, she picked up the Nine of Diamonds, slipped it atop six other nines already in her hand, dropped a triplet of Queens and a quadruplet of Fours, before discarding her remaining Ten of Clubs and savoring the despair on his face.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Ren groaned, already seeing that even his own hand would wipe out their gathered board points, even without accounting for the near quarter-deck gathered up into Jaune’s hand.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>After a tense bout of calculation, Jaune and Ren ‘Team Flower Moon, I’ll have you know!’ had dropped 290 points and Blake and Weiss ‘The Snow Panthers, dignified as always…’ had run away with 620 points.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“What are we at?” Buzzed Weiss, practically vibrating in her seat. The others had all stopped their various games to watch the results, feeling the tension in the air.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Team Flower Power, 4355.” Ren intoned, reading off the numbers. After a brief burst of muttering, his eyes went a bit wide, before a smirk stretched his lips.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“The Snow Panthers, 4990.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“What!”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Check it again!”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Give me that!” Various explosions of disbelief burst into lively existence as Ren chuckled and handed over the notepad, turning into outright laughter as Blake’s amber eyes went comically wide.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Jaune exploded into raucous laughter as Weiss turned an increasing shade of red, the man-child noodle reaching over to ‘console’ Blake with a joyous jostle.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“So, Jauney…” Ruby began teasingly, her face flushed from the alcohol she had imbibed. It was the night of Beacon’s Dance, and Teams RWBY and JNPR had gathered in the Common Room between their shared dorms. They were gathered around the low-slung coffee table, various opaque cups containing various mixtures sat atop it.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Yes, Ruby?” Jaune replied. There had been a noticed silence for a little while as everyone considered what to do, and Ruby had just stepped bravely unto the breach to introduce some noise.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Truth or dare?” Ruby continued. Yang perked up like some kind of demented rabbit, excitement dancing in her eyes with a wide mischievous smile already spreading on her face.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Truth.” Jaune replied after a moment of consideration.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Do you have any tattoos?” Was Ruby’s vaguely innocent question.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Yes.” Said Jaune levelly, then smiled wickedly at Nora.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Nora, Truth or Dare?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Dare, Fearless Leader!” Boomed the bombastic girl with a grin.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Kiss Ren.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>The two erupted into blushes, but Ren didn’t exactly push back as Nora tackled him over the back of the couch and they disappeared from sight, giggles emerging from Nora and what sounded suspiciously like a moan from Ren. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>The other gathered six waited for a moment, but it soon became clear that the other two weren’t about to pause in their actions. Yang perked up again, practically bouncing in place.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Turn forfeited! I call!” Said Yang, turning to face Jaune and pointing a finger at him. “Jaune! Truth or dare!”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Truth.” Jaune replied again, reaching down to the table, drawing his tankard to him and quaffing deeply of whatever sweet smelling liquid he had in there. Yang knew it also contained a splash from an ancient looking glass bottle with the Arc Crest on it, but otherwise she had no idea what was inside it.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“How many tattoos do you have?” Clearly this wasn’t a topic she was willing to let go, smiling widely.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Several.” Jaune replied with a smirk. It was also clearly a topic that Jaune wasn’t going to let go easily, showcasing a blank, slightly amused stone-wall expression that none besides Pyrrha had seen.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Jaune used that expression along with taunts when she asked to be challenged or needed to work through frustration, but she hadn’t seen it used in such a casual setting and it… unnerved her, in perfect truth.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Ughhh!” Whined Yang.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Yang. Truth or dare?” Retorted Jaune, smirking wide.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Dare, blondie!” Yang replied tauntingly.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I dare you to kiss someone of your choice on the lips.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“That’s a dangerous game, blondie.” Yang warned. Jaune grinned widely.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“If you’re walking on ice, ya might as well dance.” Jaune retorted. Yang huffed, but then reached over to grab Pyrrha by the lapel and draw her in, pecking her on the lips.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>The Spartan briefly looked shocked, then a mein of terrible fury overtook her.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Pyrrha growled and leapt forward, tackling Yang to the ground and landing in a roll to stand upright in one fluid motion. She reached down, taking a firm grip of the Blonde Brawler’s jacket, and hauled her off into RWBY’s dorm.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>After a moment, they could hear ferocious screaming muffled through the walls.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Well, that did not go to plan.” Observed Ruby.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Jaune nodded, staring in slight surprise at the location where Pyrrha had been sitting. He had seen her angry, obviously, when that bitch Cinder had tried to do something to the CCT Tower and been caught in the process.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Pyrrha relied greatly on support from her family back in Mistral and needed the communication range to speak with them, and Jaune had seen a black fury overtake Pyrrha at the prospect of it being robbed from her.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Jaune had to admit, seeing that sadistic-eyed bitch be hauled off in shackles, bound for Atlas’ detainment centers, had made him feel all fuzzy inside.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Even with that memory of Pyrrha’s anger in his mind now, the rawness of Pyrrha’s infuriation just now had startled him. Weiss scoffed from her seat curled up on one of the recliner chairs.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Obviously she is upset. Yang stole her first kiss.” Said the Heiress, filing carefully at a nail. “It’s a terrible thing to do to a hopeless romantic like Pyrrha.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Well now I’m just angry at myself.” Muttered Jaune. Blake reached over and rubbed at his upper back with an open palm, her other hand occupied holding a sleeping Moon against her.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Despite her two sets of ears, Moon had proven to be like a brick in her sleep, only fussing when she needed to be changed, and she never had to do that loudly as Jaune’s ears were in full Dad-Mode and Blake’s were hyper sensitive just thanks to her biology.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“You couldn’t have known she would pick Pyrrha.” Blake soothed. Jaune smiled a bit and nodded, grateful for Blake’s presence.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Now, Ruby, watch this.” Blake continued. After ensuring the silver eyed girl was observing, Blake’s hand paused on Jaune’s back, and then began to rapidly scratch at a spot just under his right shoulder blade.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Sighing explosively in what was almost a moan, Jaune’s leg began to kick like a dog, as his eyes drifted shut, and his heart-rate calmed.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Jaune had no idea how long it went on for, but when Blake finally stopped, he flopped bonelessly to the side, using what tiny amounts of muscle control he had remaining to ensure he fell </span>
  <em>
    <span>onto</span>
  </em>
  <span> Blake in vengeance.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Aay!” Blake objected to the soundtrack of observers’ laughter, and Jaune laughed along, exhausted and satisfied.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“Jaune! Blake!” Ruby called, skipping and spinning into the Common Room. The two (oblivious) love birds were seated close on the couch, legs up on the table, with Moon between them and Blake reading to the child. Oh, and also reading to Moon.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Yes, Ruby?” Asked Jaune.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I brought parenthood gifts!” Ruby said excitedly, stamping in place and appearing more childlike in her excitement than she did on average.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Really?” Blake asked, sitting up. Jaune subconsciously gathered up Moon into his arms, leaning forward attentively to Ruby.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Yes! And I had a big dramatic thing planned to introduce them but I can’t hold myself baaaack!” Ruby sang the last word, a smile stretching her face, and she placed two boxes down onto the coffee table.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Moon yawned, and Jaune smiled. “I’ll put her down for her nap, then we can be as loud in the reactions as we want.” Jaune said, then moved off.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Ruby bounced in place even harder, saying something to Blake that Jaune couldn’t hear as he entered the kids’ room and placed Moon down into the crib. Smoothing down her hair and stroking her head until she drifted off to sleep, Jaune almost didn’t notice he was singing a lullaby until he stopped himself.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Returning to the table, bantering with the other two effortlessly, Jaune unwrapped his gift and opened the hard plastic case. Laid on a foam bed, was a handgun. It was a revolver, with an octagonal shaped cylinder, a large grip with an inverted white-outline ace of spades on the handle.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Where the barrel met the cylinder was a solid-coloured ace done in matte white, against the blue-black paint of the gun body. By the barrel there was a strange orange-purple gradient that looked more like some kind of side effect of firing than any choice of styling.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Laid beside it was a large rack of bullets, but they weren’t tipped in dust crystals, rather in copper-coated lead.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I know what you’re thinking. Regular bullets are cheap, sure, but they aren’t very useful against Grimm. Well don’t worry, I handled that. When Blake’s opened her gift, we’ll take it to the range and I’ll explain.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>The two nodded, and then Blake turned to her gift. Jaune pushed into her hands, and something in his eyes told Blake that he knew a bit about it. Opening the box, a similar case, laid there was not a weapon, but a pair of over-sized faux golden cat ears.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“What… ah, what are these Ruby?” It was painfully obvious that Blake was trying to be polite.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“These, my dear sweet Blakey, are fully articulating mechanized ears that read the mood of their wearer and react accordingly. If you agree, Jaune has agreed to wear them as an act of solidarity with Moon, and you can take your bow off and claim you’re doing the same.” Ruby said, a smile wide on her face.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“You could be free of the hiding, but without the harassment.” Ruby declared grandly, puffing up in pride. Blake smiled at her team-mate, and turned to her… What was Jaune to her?</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>‘</span>
  <em>
    <span>He’s not a team-mate exactly, but JNPR is our sister team after all, and he’s not exactly just an acquaintance, I trust him with my child. Is he her father? Do I like him?</span>
  </em>
  <span>’ Flaming in a blush from her own thoughts, Blake met Jaune’s eyes with water pooling in her own.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Thank you, Jaune.” She said in a hoarse whisper. “I can’t believe you’d do something like this for me.” Neither of the two noticed Ruby as they reached for each other. Jaune cupped her cheek in one of his palms and she smiled as he used the pad of his thumb to wipe away her tears.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Anytime, Blake. Whatever you need.” Jaune professed with a dopey smile, one so cute that holding back the ‘Squee’ made Ruby feel physically ill.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>‘</span>
  <em>
    <span>So worth it…</span>
  </em>
  <span>’ Thought Ruby through the contracting pain, clutching her stomach.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>After a moment, Blake spoke again.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“May I… may I put them on you?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Sure.” Jaune said with a grin. Ruby’s hands gently pulled Jaune’s hair out of the way and gestured to the right spot for the mood-reader to place down on his scalp, and Blake carefully interwove it into his hair to sit securely.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>After a moment, that Ruby assured was the calibration phase, they twitched a bit, looking startlingly real. Even the small veins in them, visible through the back-light from the window, held circuit coolant that was coloured red to look like pumping blood. Jaune waited a moment, then placed his other hand on her other cheek.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“May I… take off the bow for you?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>There was a very long silence.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Then Blake nodded.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Jaune reached up as slowly as he could bring himself to move, and undid the knot with a quick slip of his deft hands. The ribbon fell away, revealing happily-twitching ears that rotated a bit, picking up all the sounds.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Again, neither of the two seemed to notice how sweet it looked, cupping each other’s faces and sitting close. With the matching ears, and the soft smiles, it became physically impossible for Ruby to hold in her exclamation. So, she zipped off out of the room, and swung the door shut to release the thunderous noise at a spot down the hallway.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Getting a confused look from a texting Velvet, Ruby blushed, then zipped back to the two and closed the gun case with a snap. They had been watching her since the beginning of her speeding away episode, but then merely shrugged at the behaviour and stood.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Moon’ll be alright, right?” Blake asked. Jaune nodded.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Yeah. I dropped a text to Ren when I was putting Moon down for her nap, he said he’ll be back in a minute. We’ll probably pass him on the way out.” The noodle replied with a grin, his new ears happily twitching.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Man, you really make those look good…” Blake muttered, then went into an episode of mortified silence as she realised that not only had Jaune heard her, he was reacting (in a public hallway) by modeling them, complete with that constipated look all male models used.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Ruby burst into hysteric laughter, and Jaune swelled with pride at drawing a laugh.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>And with a silent huff, Blake felt the reluctant chuckle leave her lips. Jaune instantly stopped, turning to a shell shocked looking Ruby. They were looking at each other with widened eyes and dropped jaws, and looked to Blake and back to themselves a few times before closing their mouths.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“The Laugh…” Ruby whispered ominously, as if pronouncing the beginning of the end of the world.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“It happened. Ragnarok is nigh…” Jaune was whispering as well, a hoarse tone to him. Blake blushed, embarrassed, and slapped Jaune on the shoulder.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Stop it, you dorks!” Said Blake, more laughter in her tone.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Never!” They chorused with twin giggles.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Entering the range, Jaune watched Blake hoist herself onto a nearby counter and sit, as Ruby placed the case on the counter at their end of the range and cracked it open.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Now, a few rules.” Began Ruby. Jaune gave her all his attention.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“The easiest way to think of a gun is like a drill, with a </span>
  <em>
    <span>very</span>
  </em>
  <span> long bit.” Jaune looked a bit confused, but went along. “Essentially, that is what it boils down to. It puts a hole in something from far away. Like any tool, a gun is reliant entirely on the will of its bearer.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Like how a hammer could build a house or hurt someone?” Jaune offered. Ruby beamed.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Pre-cisely!” Ruby exclaimed, either not noticing or not mentioning how much she sounded like Penny’s trademark ‘Sen-Sational!”. “Now, any gun can be lethal, but </span>
  <em>
    <span>my guns</span>
  </em>
  <span> are entirely different animals. Infused with my aura throughout the entirety of their creation and assembly, they are practically alive.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Jaune looked a bit shell-shocked but nodded, impressed by her dedication.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Now, Ace of Spades, much like Crescent Rose, forms opinions and demands respect. You will clean him, maintain him, and, if you are unsure of a problem, you are to bring him to Mama-” Ruby pointed both thumbs back at her own serious face.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“And ask. Not only would attempting to wing it cause problems, it tells Ace that you believe he’s a simple object that’s not worth perfect care. Treat him with respect, and he will serve you loyally.” Ruby went intensely silent, and waited for Jaune to nod severely in return.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I’ll treat him with all the love he deserves.” Jaune affirmed. Ruby smiled softly.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Now, the range is empty, and Ace is ready. I’ll put your stance right, and then I want you push your aura into him. He’ll respond, and show you what I want you to see.” Ruby said.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>After a few minutes, Jaune was set into a textbook steady Weaver stance, and Ruby spoke again.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“No matter what you see, or what you fear, you are to push your Aura into him throughout the entirety of the firing process. No more than two seconds can pass between the beginning of the infusion and the pulling of the trigger. Accuracy is irrelevant right now, I want you to get to… heh, grips with Ace.” Ruby proclaimed.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Jaune had never seen or heard the Reaper this severe before now, and subsequently treated her advice with ever more gravitas.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Breathing deeply and holding the exhale, Jaune pushed into his hands, paused for a beat of his heart, and pulled the trigger.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>His aura flashed snow-white, the eight holes of canted porting on the upper sides of the barrel flashed in massive plumes of glowing white flame, and a shot… </span>
  <em>
    <span>slid</span>
  </em>
  <span> from the barrel as a scintillating, thick </span>
  <em>
    <span>beam</span>
  </em>
  <span> of Auratic Fire.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>It </span>
  <em>
    <span>blasted</span>
  </em>
  <span> against the range wall, exploding violently into a mass of black soot, scalded air and horribly dented Earth-Dust-Infused steel.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Oh-oh-oh, yes.” Ruby purred, her eyes crossing. “Little Baby made Mama </span>
  <em>
    <span>so</span>
  </em>
  <span> proud.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Ace vibrated in Jaune’s hands, almost seeming to purr in response, and it was then that Jaune realised Ruby’s words regarding the gun’s, no, </span>
  <em>
    <span>Ace</span>
  </em>
  <span>’s, rudimentary sentience was not the proud spiel of a Gunsmith, but the true revelatory advisement of a Mother allowing a trusted friend to adopt her child.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Thank you, Ruby, for granting me Ace. I’ll take care of him as I do my own child. I won’t let you down.” Jaune proclaimed, with all the seriousness and intensity he could manage.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Ruby reached up and patted the noodle on the cheek.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“You’re welcome, Jaune. And thank </span>
  <em>
    <span>you</span>
  </em>
  <span> for letting yourself understand who Ace really is. Most people dismiss it all as me being a nut, even Yang doesn’t realise Crescent Rose really </span>
  <em>
    <span>is</span>
  </em>
  <span> my baby. I wouldn’t have given her my surname if she wasn’t.” Ruby smiled. Jaune smiled back.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Hopping down from her table-seat and stepping forward, Blake approached Jaune, and looked between both of their gazes. Reaching slightly towards Ace and clearly pausing, she made her intent to ask clear.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“May I?” Looking not a bit hesitant despite the magical experience he had just had, a clear sign of his trust, Jaune rotated so they both faced down-range and settled Ace into Blake’s hands.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Blake flushed as she realised that not only was the grip crafted for Jaune’s larger hands, but also that those large hands were covering her own and pressing hers into position.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>The rational part of her mind wanted to push him away and remind her of her fire-arm training, but as he settled in behind her, with his broad, strong chest against her back and his defined, deliciously manly and </span>
  <em>
    <span>hairy</span>
  </em>
  <span> arms settled on the outside of her own slim, dainty ones, she just couldn’t summon the words.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>He was so </span>
  <em>
    <span>strong</span>
  </em>
  <span>, not only in body, not only in mind, but also in </span>
  <em>
    <span>scent</span>
  </em>
  <span>, an overpowering pleasant smell of corn-meal and baking yeast, of cracked black pepper and sizzlingly-spicy bacon, and of… of… </span>
  <em>
    <span>home</span>
  </em>
  <span>.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“You alright?” He murmured, and Blake shivered as his heated breath </span>
  <em>
    <span>slid</span>
  </em>
  <span> over her human ear, scintillating and stimulating the cold flesh.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Never better.” Blake admitted, smile in her voice.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Yeah, me too.” Jaune replied, not noticing the way her neck shivered under the scalding heat of his breath, of the scent thickening into heady addicting syrup in her sinuses. Blake shivered again as his sinuous musk seared its way into her memory, of the air coalescing over her and slipping over her neck.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Time to fire?” Jaune suggested. Blake shook herself a bit, and then nodded. “Would you like me to supplement your aura a bit? I know your reserves aren’t the largest.” Offered Jaune.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Yes!” Blake squeaked, taking any chance she could latch onto, any way to keep him pressed against him. His hands warmed against hers, and she allowed his aura to slip through her flesh and down her fingers. The gun glowed, she felt the space between heartbeats, and the barrel erupted in its massive, lethal display.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Smiling, Ruby danced and skipped her way over in a half-jig, Jaune laughing at the sight. Looking up, Blake observed with a powerful sense of joy as Jaune’s new ears twitched merrily.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Sighing fondly, she reached up and carded her fingers through his hair.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>‘</span>
  <em>
    <span>I could get used to this…’</span>
  </em>
  <span> Thought Blake.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Jaune had decided he liked Ace very, </span>
  <em>
    <span>very</span>
  </em>
  <span> much indeed. The young gun wasn’t afraid to make his opinions known, buzzing Jaune with a shock when something happened he disliked and purring when something good occurred. If Jaune didn’t think the comparison would hurt The Sentience held within Ace then he’d almost compare the gun to a particularly loyal, very intelligent dog.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Although even that wasn’t quite right, as Jaune picked up on Ace’s finer nuances, and gained an ever increasing proficiency in discerning them, he could feel the bond shifting from owner and object, to friend to friend, and, with increasing rapidity, to Older Brother and Little Brother.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>With time, Jaune suspected it would shift further to Father and Son.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>At that thought, Ace </span>
  <em>
    <span>rumbled</span>
  </em>
  <span>, a slight shift in the vibration of the barrel atop the usual purring in the grips, and Jaune instantly knew it as a confirmation pure in its veracity.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Smiling, ears twitching, Jaune began his walk back from the range, spinning Ace and slotting his newest friend into the leather thigh holster that Weiss had commissioned from her small army of Atlesian tailors. The girl may have been frigid, but she knew Ruby like no other, and could tell immediately what the Crimson Reaper wanted.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>In an understated shade of royal blue, it accented his trademark jeans without dominating them, and allowed just enough of Ace’s grip to protrude for a swift draw alongside a secure hold.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Though Weiss hadn’t gushed anything like Ruby did with Jaune’s recipe of chocolate-chip cookies, the Ice Princess certainly hadn’t complained at his rendition of </span>
  <em>
    <span>brune pinner</span>
  </em>
  <span>, a dessert dish apparently traditional to Atlas.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Ruby had contacted Winter, who had asked Klein for a recipe, and, a day later, Weiss was jealously guarding her dish, hunched over it like a particularly animalistic-feeling Nora with her pancakes.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Which is to say, the average Nora with pancakes.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Whistling a bit, Jaune made for the common room, and swung the door open.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Open into utter chaos.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“Blake?” It was rare the monochrome girl heard Weiss hesitant, but it was very obvious when it happened. Closing her book and sitting up, Blake almost didn’t notice the way her hand instinctively reached to stroke Moon’s hair, the baby gurgling and gnawing determinedly at a rubber teething doll in the shape of a horse.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Yes, Weiss?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Can… can I hold Moon?” Blinking slightly, Blake wordlessly moved aside and patted the newly emptied space beside her. Cooing a bit to garner Moon’s attention, the baby dropped her teething doll and extended both arms upward. Gathering her, she shuffled the baby into her arms and turned to face Weiss.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>The white-themed girl was sitting anxiously, her hands concerned and wringing at each other.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Here. You have to support her head, and make sure you cradle her steady, but don’t hold too tight.” Blake advised, slipping Moon into Weiss’ arms with nary a hesitant thought.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Even though the baby was, to any eye familiar with such things, quite comfortable, Weiss looked up in panic to Blake with each sound Moon made.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>A pleased gurgle?</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Panic.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>A little laugh and a clap of the hands?</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Panic.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>A slight groan as she shuffled?</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Big Panic. Bigly.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“It’s alright, Weiss. Look at her, see how bright her eyes are? She loves Auntie Weiss.” Blake soothed, one hand on Weiss’ back and the other stroking at Moon’s hair.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Yeah…” Weiss breathed. “Yeah, she does.” Rocking a bit, Weiss smiled in raw joy as the baby laughed with the motion. “Wittle baby loves Auntie Weiss, doesn’t she?” Moon made a sound between a little burp and a giggle, clapping her little stumpy hands, her ears twitching madly.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“You’re a natural, Weiss. You’ll make an excellent mother.” Blake complimented, smiling widely. Weiss looked up, her lips pouty and eyes watery.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Blake had to stop herself from reeling back, the expression so antithetical to the Weiss she knew that Blake found herself quickly checking the angular jawline and high cheekbones to make sure it wasn’t an imposter. Luckily, she found no discrepancies, so, unless she had a twin, this was her Weiss.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>And Weiss, having a twin? No way. Jacques would’ve named her something utterly stupid like ‘Bleiss’.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“You really think so?” There was a hesitant insecurity to Weiss’ voice, a wavering in her tone.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I really do, Weiss.” Blake confirmed. The water gathering in Weiss’ eyes spilled over, and she leaned onto Blake, sobbing harshly.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>And with the tears, the worries began to spill out, a heart-wrenching display of murmured words, of thanks and apologies, of concerns and soothing affirmations.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>And then the door opened, revealing a rapidly-becoming-worried Jaune, who rushed inside.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Blake waved him off with a mouthed assurance, and he paused, observing the situation, and listening to the words. Settling a bit back onto his feet and feeling the worry drain from himself, Jaune observed the sweet moment with a fond smile.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>‘</span>
  <em>
    <span>Oh, Auntie Weiss does have quite a ring…”</span>
  </em>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>One thing Jaune was continuing to discover about Ace was how willing he was to make his opinions known. Pushing backward insistently on Jaune’s Aura, the noodle had first tried more carefully pushing his energy into Ace as opposed to the brief rush he usually employed.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>This went on for a while, before Jaune felt himself grow frustrated.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Snarling, Jaune </span>
  <em>
    <span>shoved</span>
  </em>
  <span>, and Ace </span>
  <em>
    <span>hummed</span>
  </em>
  <span> in response as he shot, a pleased climactic burst of the build up of Auratic energy </span>
  <em>
    <span>lancing</span>
  </em>
  <span> out a thunderous blast. It was so loud it hurt Jaune’s ears, even through the aura he pushed into them as a precaution. It wasn’t safe for a Huntsmen to go around with plugged ears, so most combat schools instructed their students in reinforcing easily hurt areas.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>The </span>
  <em>
    <span>bolt</span>
  </em>
  <span> of </span>
  <em>
    <span>distilled annihilation</span>
  </em>
  <span> hit the opposing wall, smashing and crashing and crackling and </span>
  <em>
    <span>erupting</span>
  </em>
  <span> in a display so stunningly powerful it physically hurt to observe.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Laughing breathlessly, Jaune felt Ace release a self-satisfied </span>
  <em>
    <span>purr</span>
  </em>
  <span> in his hands.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Oh, hush you. I’m still frustrated.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>A pulse of worry, then… something suggestive?</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Ah, right. Again. Sounds fun.” Jaune laughed briefly, then gave that same </span>
  <em>
    <span>shove</span>
  </em>
  <span>, actively feeling his Aura drain with the motion and the Auratic Lance leapt eagerly again from Ace’s barrel.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Jaune blinked himself awake, finding himself already half-risen out of bed and not arguing with the motion, staggering upright and stumbling to the kitchen.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Staring blankly at the warm silver-grey of the wall in front of the counter top, he let his hands mix the formula and only looked down to pour the milk into the bottle and cap it.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Grunting at the sudden light like a particularly disagreeable cat leaving a cozy cellar, Jaune barely held himself back from simply brushing past the figure that had turned on the kitchen light.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Jaune? Is that you?” Said the girl. Jaune nodded.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Yeah. What’s up Blake?” Murmured the big noodle.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I… uh, couldn’t sleep. What are you doing?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Moon was starting to get hungry, I made formula and I was gonna feed her.” Said Jaune, pausing for a moment. “You wanna join me?” Offered Jaune.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Uh, sure, but why?” Jaune stepped forward, out of the kitchen and made for the bedroom, Blake falling into step beside him.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I always found watching a bottle-feeding to be very soothing, seeing the raw, sleepy determination in such a little package made me feel like life’s a little simpler for a while. Makes the worries easier to ignore.” He held open the door, and Blake slipped past him.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“That’s a really sweet sentiment, Jaune.” Said Blake with a small smile. Jaune closed the door with a soft click and settled down onto the small bench below the window. Blake gathered up Moon into her arms and sat beside him, seamlessly transferring the slightly-fussing baby into his arms and watching as her reddened face smoothed out with the bottle in her mouth.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>They sat in silence for a long moment, watching about half the bottle disappear.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“You, you’re still wearing the ears.” Observed the cat faunus, reaching up to stroke the furry appendages. Surprising both of them, Jaune purred at the action, </span>
  <em>
    <span>actually</span>
  </em>
  <span> purred.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Uh… I didn’t think I could make that sound.” Observed Jaune idly.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“And I didn’t think they felt this real when Ruby gave them to you.” Replied Blake in that same forced calm.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Uh… did they somehow become real overnight or am I still dreaming?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“They’re real. Somehow.” Assured Blake, though her hand didn’t stop.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“How?” Jaune was being remarkably calm about it, all things considered. “Wait, no. I already know the answer.” Said Jaune.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Ruby.” They said in stereo.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I’m going to emotionally deal with this when I wake up.” Said Jaune.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Fair enough.” Replied Blake.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>After another long moment, Jaune watched a smirk stretch over Blake’s face.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“So, you said you thought you were dreaming earlier. Do you dream about me often?” Whatever she was expecting, a stammering, blushing mess perhaps, Blake did not get it.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Instead, Jaune leaned nearer to her, his ears seeming to fall to the side a bit and relax, as everything else in his bearing became intense, and warm and </span>
  <em>
    <span>close</span>
  </em>
  <span>.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Every night.” With those words, a blush erupted onto Blake’s face, as a smile stretched his.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I… uh… oh.” Stammered Blake. The smile turned into an outright grin.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Wha’sa matter Blake? Cat got your tongue?” His sleepy murmur was growing into a lower rumble, becoming a quiet rasp that lit a fire in her.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I’d like to have yours.” She replied, and grinned back as he blushed deeply. They sat quietly for a long, poignant moment, leaned near each other, breathing the same air and smiling softly.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Wow, that escalated quickly.” Began Jaune, placing a finger over his upper lip to simulate a mustache.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I mean, that really got out of hand fast.” Finished Blake, doing the same.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“</span>
  <b>BURP!</b>
  <span>” Said Moon.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>They both burst into laughter.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>After a long while of sitting and holding Moon, murmuring various low conversations, they set Moon down for bed and Jaune headed for the parent bedroom.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Beginning to swing the door closed, he was surprised to see a slender hand stopping the motion. A smiling Blake stepped through, shedding her pajama over-coat and slipping under the covers.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Uh… what?” Blake laughed briefly.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Join me, Jaune. It’s only right I feel comfortable with the father of my child.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <b>
    <em>* Jaune.exe has failed.</em>
  </b>
</p>
<p>
  <b>
    <em>*Attempting restart.</em>
  </b>
</p>
<p>
  <b>
    <em>* Unable to process ‘Input: Father of Child’</em>
  </b>
</p>
<p>
  <b>
    <em>* Restart failed.</em>
  </b>
</p>
<p>
  <b>
    <em>* Attempting restart: Restart successful.</em>
  </b>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“You what now?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Oh, just get over here you big lumpen oaf.” Snapped Blake without heat, eyes merry as the blond noodle scrambled forward. The room was kept cool by Jaune’s preference, and Blake slipped without pause against Jaune’s glorious body heat.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Who promptly blue-screened again.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Chuckling softly at the way Jaune froze, Blake brushed a leg against his, slipped an arm over him and rested her head on his chest. Purring as his arm settled over her and pulled her in close, Blake sighed in contentment.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Blake?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Yes, Jaune?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Do you remember when I first changed Moon for you?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Hmm.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“When I said I wouldn’t do them all for free, do you know what I wanted in return?” Blake nuzzled further into his chest, inhaling deeply of his scent.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“What’s that, Jaune?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I wanted this. Cuddles.” Blake raised up a bit, meeting his eyes with a bit of surprise. Seeing the slight wince on his face, she deduced -correctly- that he was worried he had offended her. Blake slipped the arm that had been resting on his chest up to cup his scruffy cheek.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“You don’t have to do things for these, Jaune. Just ask, and I’ll be there the way you’ve been there for Moon and I. You already do so much, and the emotional stability you offer has been phenomenal throughout.” Blake noticed her hand lightly caressing his cheek, but had no inclination to stop.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I… I don’t know what I’d do without you and your efforts with her, with </span>
  <em>
    <span>me</span>
  </em>
  <span>, Jaune. You… </span>
  <em>
    <span>gods</span>
  </em>
  <span> I’m not good with emotional profession and things like th-!”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Blake released a startled sound against Jaune’s lips, and against her will, it shifted rapidly into a moan.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>His hot breath was heavy and heady in her nose, his lips rough and dry against hers. It wasn’t magic, it wasn’t fireworks, it wasn’t even all that erotic, not like her lying books had promised it would be.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>And she didn’t care in the </span>
  <em>
    <span>fucking slightest</span>
  </em>
  <span>.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>For even though his lips weren’t plump and, if she were honest, his breath against hers wasn’t exactly sunshine and daisies from eating tuna with her that afternoon, none of it mattered.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Because he was </span>
  <em>
    <span>Jaune</span>
  </em>
  <span>.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>When they separated, it drew a moan from deep in her throat.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>He met her eyes, a raw, wet intensity in his gaze.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I love you, Blake. You’re the mother of my child.” Murmured Jaune.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I love you, Jaune. You’re the father of my child.” Replied Blake.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Far away, on a small, peaceful island, a tall, blond man was returning to his wife in bed. He had just finished ensuring his youngest twins were comfortably asleep and had gone around the house turning off the lights. He was holding a glass of water, one he always filled for his wife to wake up to.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Stepping into the dark room he shared with his darling wife, Nicholas Arc stared at the shaded lump of blankets which held the love of his life fondly, as he always did.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Stepping forward, he placed the glass on her nightstand and cupped her sleeping cheek with one of his large hands. He always did this, her subconscious commentary on her own dreams were often funny to listen to before she fell into deep sleep.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Sometimes they were even prophetic, she had correctly recognized the night of each of their six conceptions.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Which was why it was so worrying when the words that emerged from her were not signs of dreaming of puppies and rainbows, but of “Jaune… having… grandbabies… *Snore*...”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Nicholas Arc fainted into his bed, onto his wife, and all she did was roll over and pull him in tightly.</span>
</p>
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